ERIC Number: EJ837305
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-2194
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Multidimensional Attentional Abilities in Academic Skills of Children with ADHD
Preston, Andrew S.; Heaton, Shelley C.; McCann, Sarah J.; Watson, William D.; Selke, Gregg
Journal of Learning Disabilities, v42 n3 p240-249 2009
Despite reports of academic difficulties in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), little is known about the relationship between performance on tests of academic achievement and measures of attention. The current study assessed intellectual ability, parent-reported inattention, academic achievement, and attention in 45 children (ages 7-15) diagnosed with ADHD. Hierarchical regressions were performed with selective, sustained, and attentional control/switching domains of the "Test of Everyday Attention for Children" as predictor variables and with performance on the "Wechsler Individual Achievement Test--Second Edition" as dependent variables. It was hypothesized that sustained attention and attentional control/switching would predict performance on achievement tests. Results demonstrate that attentional control/ switching accounted for a significant amount of variance in all academic areas (reading, math, and spelling), even after accounting for verbal IQ and parent-reported inattention. Sustained attention predicted variance only in math, whereas selective attention did not account for variance in any achievement domain. Therefore, attentional control/switching, which involves components of executive functions, plays an important role in academic performance. (Contains 7 tables.)
Descriptors: Attention, Academic Achievement, Hyperactivity, Predictor Variables, Achievement Tests, Multidimensional Scaling, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Psychological Evaluation, Measures (Individuals), Role Perception
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A